The New Zealand man killed in London after a sign blew off a shop and fell on top of him was Jacob Marx- a 27-year-old originally from Gisborne.

According to the Daily Mail, Marx, a former King's College pupil who had been working in London, suffered a massive heart attack underneath the sign and died later at London's University College Hospital.

The Marx family will put out a statement tomorrow.

The sign blew off the Camden Rd storefront and crushed him about 5pm on Monday (Tuesday morning NZT), leaving him with significant injuries and splitting his head open.

Tributes for the victim, including a New Zealand flag, had been left outside the betting shop.

One card named him only as "Jacko".

Another card read: "This is not how it was supposed to go. We had so many good plans and so many good memories. I promise never to forget you."

A pensioner who lived above the betting shop said pigeon spikes fitted to the shop roof just before Christmas may have caused some structural weakening.

David Preston, 68, said he was in the kitchen of his house when he heard what sounded like an explosion.

"I didn't know what to think - I thought it could have been the gas," he said.

"I looked outside and saw this poor guy lying there. He must have been about 26, he was lying motionless, his head all open, the blood was terrible.

"I just felt sorry for his parents or girlfriend or maybe wife I don't know. It is just tragic to think about, such a young life."

Other witnesses described the scene as tragic.

Ken Osbourne, 28, worked at the Woody Grill next to the betting shop. He said: "I saw the guy lying down in the road, covered in blood.

"The main impact was clearly on his head. The blood was mainly around his head. I saw them trying to resuscitate him in the back of the ambulance."

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman told the Daily Mail an ambulance crew were close to the scene and arrived quickly.

"Extensive efforts were made to resuscitate him both at the scene and on way to hospital," she said.

The scene was cordoned off after the incident and police were still investigating.